I just attended a great church service at Seacoast Vineyard while in Myrtle Beach. The church reminds me of our years in the warehouse at the corner of Jaycox & Center Ridge. It was incredibly personable, relaxed and the Holy Spirit's presence was tangible.
The message caused me to think about some of the good and bad points of the Church (with a capital "C" for the universal body of Christ). Unfortunatley, it seems that the "Church" has drifted towards instituational construction instead of being relational.
The early church met in homes... they had to be relational. In fact, books like Ephesians are all about keeping relationships strong. It seems that it is easier to become rule driven and organizational than to keep genuine, loving relationships.
It is my desire for Harvest Ridge (since that is the one area where I have some authority) to keep relationships at the core of our existence. Of course, that brings some problems, because every person in every relationship has sinful tendencies.
So, we have to help one another when we fall. We have to love one another through our faults. We have to remain committed, even when we want to reject. And, most importantly, we have to stay subjected to our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that God would help me be the man, husband, father, leader and friend that I should be, so as far as it goes with me, the church (little c) and Church (big C) are stronger because I am a part. By the way, that is my prayer for you as well.
Signed with a few of my titles:
kevin, Kevin, dad, sweetheart, Pastor
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